Amnesty International has alleged that more than 100 civilians were killed following a military airstrike on a crowded market in Zamfara State, raising renewed concerns over civilian casualties linked to counter-banditry operations in northern Nigeria.
The incident reportedly occurred on Sunday at the Tumfa market in Zurmi Local Government Area, where residents had gathered for the community’s weekly trading activities.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Amnesty International claimed that Nigerian Air Force fighter jets bombed the area during peak market hours, resulting in heavy casualties, including women and children.
The rights organization described the incident as a “devastating disregard for civilian lives” and called for an independent investigation into the operation.
According to Amnesty’s Nigeria Director, Isa Sanusi, eyewitnesses reported seeing military aircraft hovering around the area before the strike was carried out.
“Military jets were spotted hovering around midday and later returned to strike the crowded market,” the organization quoted one witness as saying. “It was not a forest camp or militant hideout. People were there to buy food and trade.”
The allegation comes barely weeks after another controversial airstrike in Jilli, Yobe State, where rights groups claimed that scores of civilians were also killed during an anti-terror operation.
Human rights advocates argue that the recurring incidents point to failures in intelligence gathering and inadequate precautionary measures during military operations in conflict-prone regions.
However, the Defence Headquarters Nigeria has defended its operations, insisting that military air raids are based on credible intelligence aimed at dismantling bandit and terrorist enclaves.
A spokesperson for Defence Headquarters, Major General Michael Onoja, reportedly dismissed early reports of mass civilian casualties as inaccurate, while confirming that military operations were conducted in the area against suspected criminal elements.
The military later stated that it would investigate claims of possible collateral damage arising from the operation.
Over the years, several military air operations targeting bandits and insurgents in parts of Zamfara, Yobe, Kaduna, and other northern states have generated controversy after reports of civilian deaths emerged.
Security analysts and human rights lawyers have continued to demand stricter operational safeguards to prevent accidental strikes on civilian communities.
Legal analyst Chidi Odinkalu said the burden lies on the military to demonstrate that adequate precautions were taken before authorizing strikes near populated areas.
“A market filled with civilians during daytime trading hours cannot simply be dismissed without thorough accountability,” he said.
Meanwhile, local hospitals in Zurmi and nearby Shinkafi were reportedly overwhelmed with injured victims suffering from shrapnel wounds and burns following the incident.
The reported strike has also attracted international attention, with calls mounting for transparent investigations into the circumstances surrounding the operation.
As investigations continue, concerns remain over the growing humanitarian cost of Nigeria’s ongoing military campaigns against banditry and insurgency in the North-West and North-East regions.
